relief for hurricane sandy victims. >> for crying out loud, please help us! you know, you helped katrina in 10 days. >> it is why the american people hate congress. >> the fury that's pitting republicans against each other on the eve of the new congress. plus have you heard about this? a war on kwanzaa? one lawmaker calls it a leftist plot to destroy america. guess what, he's not backing down. >> we have a packed two hours straight ahead. new york congressman michael grimm and peter king have a lot to say about hurricane sandy. also joaquin castro and pennsylvania governor tom corbett. >> it is thursday, january 3rd. "starting point" begins right now. good morning, everyone. good morning to you. >> hello. how are you? >> very well, thank you. >> good. >> our starting point this morning is a fresh start to the children of sandy hook elementary school. >> yes. >> the kids will return to class

today for the first time since 20 of their friends, six of their educators, slaughtered by a gunman three weeks ago. >> we have deb feyerick, she is live there for us in monroe, connecticut, where the new sandy hook elementary school is set to open. deb, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. you know, one of the things the kids that we spoke to yesterday, they are really excited to be getting back to class. they're really excited to be joining their friends and their teachers in discovering what is really a new environment. today gives teachers a chance to reset the entire sort of school year and get the kids back into a routine. you know, you have to remember that the last time all these kids were together, they were huddled, hiding from a deranged gunman. >> so you were in the gym and you were in the art room. >> reporter: ben and ethan heard the gunshots and screams that horrible morning at sandy hook elementary school. three weeks isn't nearly enough time to understand all the

feelings they have experienced since then. fear, worry, anger. still, the 9-year-old twins are trying every way they can. >> it's a healing shawl. so it's supposed to heal us. >> reporter: going back to school this week is a big part of that healing. >> are you guys looking forward to kind of going back to school? >> well, we just went there today to visit it and look at everything. and it's very -- it's a very interesting school. >> reporter: originally for teenagers, the school in monroe has been transformed for k through fourth grade. toys, cubbies, carpets and familiar things brought over from sandy hook elementary. >> all of our desks are there, but my desk, i noticed that someone was in there and cleaned it and made it -- well, not cleaned it, made it neater. because my desk is usually very messy. >> i think them getting on the bus is -- for us it's a movement forward. so i think a lot of us are looking at that as this is the next step. now it's getting back to a routine and it's getting them to

school so they get back to that normalcy and start learning again and be who they are. >> reporter: ben and ethan want the school turtle to be sandy hook's new mascot. >> our motto that could go with it is actually one step at a time. >> reporter: it's also one step at a time for moms and good friends, denise and sara and their daughters. >> there's no real playbook for this. i don't think any of us really have a playbook, so we're kind of just sensing our child and trying to meet the needs that we can. >> reporter: counselors will be on hand for the children and parents can spend the day at the school, just in case. >> i joked with one of the other moms, i'll see you in the morning, i'll bring coffee. it was one of those that i think i need that adult time too because i'm not sure i'm ready yet to totally let them go in peace, because i think my peace has been shattered. >> reporter: when you think about it, shattered is such a right word because everybody is trying to pick up all the pieces

and put them together as best they can. parents will be putting their children on the school bus beginning at 8:30 this morning. some of the moms they spoke to, they said, look, they're going to be jumping in their cars and following those buses. they want to be at the school and they want to be on hand in case their kids do need them. some of the moms really feel like they weren't there to protect their kids when all this happened. but for the kids, look, they're just happy to be with their friends and their teachers again. brooke. >> and they want the mascot to be a turtle because they're going to take it one step at a time. that's adorable. kids are resilient. deb feyerick, thank you so much. >> how cute were the kids in that piece? >> how cute were the kids? >> kids are so resilient. sometimes parents not quite as much. it will be a tough day for them today too i'm sure. other top stories we're looking at this morning, he may be hands on when it came to governing, but when it comes to signing the fiscal cliff bill into law, president obama not hands on at all. with the first family vacationing in hawaii, the president couldn't be in washington to put his actual john hancock on the bill so he

signed it yesterday with an auto pen, which copies his signature. the president also signed a defense bill. that one got his actual hand involved. in just a couple of hours here, the 113th congress will be on the clock. members are being sworn in on capitol hill today and there will be a swarm of wide-eyed lawmakers. you have 13 freshmen senators, 81 freshmen representatives among those taking the oath. the new congress includes a record 20 female senators. >> it's going to be like the first day of school for all them too. >> we're talking to joaquin castro later. >> his first day on the new job. >> see how it will go. >> he's coming to a place which hasn't been terribly friendly the last 24 hours. though it appears house speaker john boehner will get to keep his gavel in the new congress. there was a storm of outrage over speaker boehner scrapping a vote on superstorm sandy relief. he is now doing an about-face, the first of two votes on sandy aid package will take place tomorrow. new york congressman peter king, who accused boehner of betraying

the party, tells cnn he is glad the speaker is making things right. >> the bottom line is that we are now receiving what we asked for. as far as i'm concerned, what's done is done. i've always considered john boehner a friend. i said that on the house floor today, which made it all the more painful for me to say what i felt i had to say. i owed it to my constituents and i did feel that new york in a number of cases was being taken advantage of. >> you know, he says they have always been friends but they didn't sound too friend low yesterday morning. peter king has had a lot of emotion over this and we'll talk to the chairman later this morning in the 8:00 hour. also new york congressman michael grimm whose district was devastated by sandy will join us. new jersey governor chris christie may not be so quick to forgive speaker of the house john boehner at least when it comes to that sandy vote. christie gave boehner and the entire republican leadership an earful, vintage chris christie, for delaying that vote. >> there's only one group to

blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims. the house majority and their speaker, john boehner. new york deserves better than the selfishness we saw displayed last night. new jersey deserves better than the duplicity we saw displayed last night. america deserves better than just another example of a government that has forgotten who they are there to serve and why. >> governor christie says he was given no credible reason for that holdup. >> subtle. the word subtle not in the chris christie playbook. not at all. three days after being admitted to a new york hospital to treat a blood clot, secretary of state hillary clinton has been discharged. she was spotted walking on the grounds of new york presbyterian hospital yesterday accompanied by her husband, the former president bill clinton, of course, and their daughter, chelsea. in a statement, the state department said clinton's medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts and they are confident she will make a full recovery.

the secretary is being treated with blood thinners to help dissolve the blood clot. and now to this one, to say wisconsin state senator glen grothman isn't a supporter of kwanzaa is a huge understatement. in the press release called why must we still hear about kwanzaa, he claims it's a leftist plot to destroy america. he calls the kwanzaa founder a racist who, quote, didn't like the idea that christ died for all our sins so he thought blacks should have their own holiday. take a look what he cold ashleigh banfield last night on "ac 360." >> i think the underlying problem here is not enough tv types when they talk about kwanzaa talk about the horrible, racist violent past of its founder. if they knew the past, i think kwanzaa would die a quick death. you've got to remember ron -- >> go ahead. >> the founder of kwanzaa who

just founded it in 1966 was a black separatist who felt the black panthers didn't dislike white people enough. >> grothman claims kwanzaa is a holiday and again, quoting here, that, quote, almost no black people today care about. and with that we roll on. >> with that we roll on. we've got a story that a lot of people are talking about. disturbing video surfaces of a teenager joking about the rape of a 16-year-old girl. we're going to talk to the blogger who helped break the story that's rocked an ohio community and its football team. it's crazy. >> it's a crazy, crazy story. lots of details coming out. also coming up this morning, al gore has sold current tv here. wait until you hear who the buyer is. >> al gorezeera. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance,

pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app.

11 minutes past the hour here on a thursday. welcome back to "starting point." we are getting our very first look at this 12-minute video that is likely to become this key piece of evidence in a rape case involving high schoolers. >> that's right. two high school football players in ohio charged for allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old girl. the whole thing really played out on social media. cnn national correspondent susan candiotti has been covering this case. susan. >> john, the charges are horrific. a 16-year-old girl allegedly rape ed by two high school football players during end of the summer parties in the small

eastern ohio town of steubenville. there are reports the girl was drunk and possibly unconscious, and now two special prosecutors appointed by ohio's attorney general, mike dewine, are just over a month away from drying at least two teenagers or rape charges. but what makes this case stand out even more is talk about the alleged attack last august has been playing itself out through social media. even ohio's chief law enforcement officer says this case might never have come together a decade ago. that's because police in part found out about the alleged rape by piecing together outrageous tweets, a cell phone photo that claims to show the girl at the center of the alleged attack being carried, seemingly limp, by her arms and legs. and at least one online video that shows young people callously laughing about it. >> what if that was your daughter? >> but it isn't. >> what if it was. >> if that was my daughter, i wouldn't care. i'd just let her be dead. >> listen to yourself.

>> i'm listening to myself fine. >> in about ten years, i'm going to come back to this video. >> ten years. my daughter's going to be getting raped and dead in ten years. >> now, that continues for about 12 minutes. he goes on to make offensive one-line comments about rape and talks about the girl as if she was dead, which she is not. >> the charges here are horrendous. >> that's right. and, you know, for now this is what we know about them. two 16-year-old boys are charged with rape. one of the two is also charged with illegal use of a minor in nude oriented material. now, the attorney general's office says they will be tried by a juvenile court judge without a jury in open court next month. they have been publicly identified by authorities. however, cnn is not yet revealing their names. and because cnn's policy is not to release the name of alleged rape victims, we are also not reporting the name of the girl. >> so right now we have two high

school football players who have been charged. i've got to say the tweets, the pictures that have gone around on social media shocking. more than two people there. what do we know about other people that may be involved? >> well, it's possible, the attorney general tells me the investigation is not over. authorities are still conducting interviews. he also says he's well aware of the online video and the photo and postings. some were online months ago, then were taken down. and some of them are now back online again. so a lot of people are looking at this. >> thank you very much, susan candiotti. obviously this case has received national attention because evidence of the attack first surfaced on social media. twitter, facebook, everywhere. >> that's what made this case so, so different than other allegations of sexual assault in the past. i want to bring in alexandra goddard. she has a blog and has been posting on this developing story. also want to bring in mark radaza. her attorney. to both of you, good morning. alexandria, let me just begin with you.

how and why did you get involved in this case in steubenville, ohio? >> i used to live in steubenville so i keep track of the news there. when i first came across the article, i just -- i felt like because it was involving football players and there is a culture there that football is very important, that there was probably a little more to this story than what the local media was reporting. so i started doing my own research. >> so you went digging on social media. without naming names, alexandria, tell us what you found. >> i found -- i went through the twitter accounts and i found, you know, very disturbing messages. basically laying out a timeline of what happened that evening. found the cache of the youtube video. just found all of the social media, which told the story of what happened that night. >> with the video, and this is

the first time that so many people are seeing this 12-minute video and you saw from what i understand a screen grab, not the actual video. but now that we're learning more about that today, how does that help/hurt your case? >> how did the video -- >> how does that help your case, just in general here, your case here, your investigation? >> well, it proves that there was a 12-minute video. we had -- you know, i found the google cache from youtube and, you know, some of the supporters were like, you know, it doesn't exist. and that video surfacing now proves that, you know, it did exist and some of the commentary that was going on by the person in it tells the horrific things that happened that night. >> here's my question, though, and there's so much out there on the internet. how are you able to verify, you know, that these tweets are in fact coming from specific

individuals, that this video is in fact a real video? how did you discern that? >> well, i mean, the person is there so that's obviously that person is -- has, you know, identified themselves in the video. they have also identified others in the room who were allegedly involved. and through the twitter accounts, most of these kids were using their full names. >> there are two people who have now been charged in this case. you have been -- you were for a while the target of a defamation suit here. how was your blogging, how has your investigation been received in steubenville? >> it's been for the most part very positive. i haven't received any hate mail. i know that there is some people who are upset about it, but for the most part it's been very positive and people have thanked me for, you know, bringing this situation to light because their local media just wasn't providing enough coverage and they were coming to my blog for information. >> so it's been overall

positive, but we're clear this morning in not saying specifically where you are in this country as we're talking to you, so clearly i'm thinking there is a level of fear in terms of your own safety. is that right? >> yes and no. i mean, you know, i would go back to steubenville if i needed to, to report on this, but, you know, i -- just as everyone on the internet needs to be safe and practice safety on the internet, so i mean you shouldn't go out telling everybody where you live. >> the video, as we said, what you're seeing in its full 12-minute length today, we knew about its existence before, what new are you learning from this video and who more do you think there's still to learn that's out there? >> i learned a lot more of the facts and exactly where they were. what i think will be learned from this are the other people and the things that they said,

that they admitted. if you listen to the background voices, you can glean a lot of information. >> okay. alexandria goddard, mark redaza, thank you. it just goes to show in this day and age what people are posting and tweeting and photos, you know, for the world to see. >> and these kids were doing it as it was going on. >> it was it's going on. >> it's a remarkable timeline to read through, i do have to say that. the case against those two teens, the two football players, scheduled for february at this point. still ahead this morning here on "starting point" how the fiscal cliff deal in washington could delay your tax refund. plus an invitation that relatives of those killed in the aurora, colorado, theater massacre call disgusting.

a hybrid? most are just no fun to drive. now, here's one that will make you feel alive. meet the five-passenger ford c-max hybrid. c-max says ha. c-max says wheeee. which is what you get, don't you see? cause c-max has lots more horsepower than prius v, a hybrid that c-max also bests in mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid.

welcome back to "starting point." i'm christine romans. minding your business this morning, a very big day for the markets yesterday. the dow gained 308 points, about 2.4%. it was a fiscal cliff deal rally. but, as often happens when you have a very big day, you have a little pull-back the next day and that's what we're expecting today. stock futures are down. it's healthy, john, don't get too worried.

investor enthusiasm over the fiscal cliff expecting to be short-lived as we look ahead to wall street's biggest problem, washington. that's what most of the 30 investment strategists and money managers told cnn money in a survey. they said uncertainty out of washington remains the biggest market headwind. one of these money managers said, quote, democrats and republicans did the least they could possibly do to avoid the fiscal cliff and the question now is will they do the least amount again when it comes to raising the debt ceiling and how will the rating agencies view that. moody's, one of those rating agencies, did warn yesterday it could lower america's credit rating unless washington reduces the deficit. now, no word yet if your tax refund could be delayed this year because of the last-minute deal on the fiscal cliff. the irs had this statement saying, quote, the irs is currently reviewing the details of this week's tax legislation and assessing what impact it will have on this year's filing season. it also said it will issue additional guidance, quote,

soon. if you look at the 1040 form for 2012, there's several lines listed as reserved. an irs spokesman told cnn money these are place holders for several fiscal cliff provisions it was waiting on, like the alternative minimum tax. about a dozen provisions that just never got extended, hanging out there until the very last moment for 2012. the big changes for taxes come for 2013. >> these are ones in the fine print for 2012. the big rate increases are next year. >> tax preparers tell us they are ready. they are ready for your business. ahead on "starting point" inside the battle on the hurricane sandy relief bill. this had republicans publicly ripping each other. we'll talk to republican congressman michael grimm from heart-hit staten island. also coming up this morning, a pint-size football fan. this is precious. she's just calling it how she sees it. that's coming up.

>> they said it's touching that pole but it's really not. i gave birth to my daughter on may 18th, five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story.

before you begin an aspirin regimen. are you flo? yes. is this the thing you gave my husband? well, yeah, yes. the "name your price" tool. you tell us the price you want to pay, and we give you a range of options to choose from. careful, though -- that kind of power can go to your head. that explains a lot. yo, buddy! i got this. gimme one, gimme one, gimme one! the power of the "name your price" tool. only from progressive.

27 minutes past the hour. welcome back to "starting point." in newtown, connecticut, this morning, the lunch boxes are being packed. the children of sandy hook elementary school are returning to class. this is the very first time since that gunman slaughtered 20 of their friends. deb feyerick is live for us this

morning near the new, they're actually calling it sandy hook elementary school. different town, seven miles away in monroe, connecticut. deb, i imagine a lot of nervous parents there this morning? >> reporter: yeah, a lot of nervous parents, but a lot of excited kids also of the one of the reasons that they did rename the school is they want the children to understand that this is their building, this is their school. the teachers will be the same, their friends will be there the same. there are changes, of course there are changes. a lot of the children, they either knew some of those who were killed or they know siblings who are also expected to be going back to school today as well. so -- but one thing that the officials want to really convey is that, you know, everything that they see there belongs to them. and that's one of the reasons they took such great care to move over furniture and cubbies and toys, even desks were transferred from the old school to the new school. one little boy we talked to said he was a little bit confused because when he left his desk it was a lot messier than when he

found it because they did do orientations. the kids could get in and spend a little time there. nobody knows what to expect. one of the moms said there's just no playbook for this thing so everybody is going to be taking cues from each other. the teachers will take cues from the kids. the kids will take cues from their parents. so it's very delicate. but they're going to get through it altogether and that's one thing the community has said. they don't want to be defined through this tragedy, they want to be defined through how they handle it and come out on the other side, brooke. >> as for the kids, you mentioned some of the kids are excited. we saw your piece where they said they want the mascot to be a turtle because they're going to take this thing step by step slowly. how are they overall? >> reporter: you know, it's interesting. they are still very much processing the emotions and the feelings. it depends on where the children were, if they heard the gunshot. the loudspeakers were on in the school so a lot of the kids did hear what was going on, the commotion. those who were closest have fresher recollections of it. also all these kids, they know

exactly where they were hiding, whether they were locked in a closet or whether they were, you know, hiding behind a sink we were told in one case. we spoke to one little boy. here's what he said. >> this has been a huge crushing to us. it makes me really happy to see all those people trying to help. and that's a big part that makes me feel better. watching people and they're all trying to make it better. >> reporter: that's ben paley and his younger brother, ethan. their parents have been so strong trying to help them get through this. but again the wave of emotions because there are so many of them. they're afraid. you know, there's anxiety, there's worry. and it's interesting, the little boy, ethan, he said to me, he goes, you know, i used to be really afraid of monsters. now i'm afraid that somebody is going to come who shouldn't be there. yeah, so their reality has definitely shifted. >> from the mouth of a fourth grader. deb feyerick, thank you. we're all thinking about those

kids today. >> certainly wishing them the best this morning. we do have other news to tell you about this morning. pakistani officials say it appears u.s. droughnes struck t regions today. one killed at least 11 people. one of those believed killed was a taliban commander who reportedly was at odds with other taliban leaders about attacking pakistan. mark kirk returns to washington a year after a major stroke. he has spent the past 12 months learning to walk again. today he plans to climb the steps of the capitol building and get back to work. he says one of his priorities is medicaid funding for stroke victims who have no income. the colorado movie theater where those 12 people were shot and killed last somerset to umm reopen in two weeks from today. some relatives plan to boycott. they claim the theater company

never sent condolences. they say this invitation to a special memorial is just insulting. the theater has been closed ever since the shootings back july 20th. the preliminary hearing for the suspect starts next week. >> a lot of raw emotion there. a medical helicopter crashing late last night near clear lake, iowa, killing at least three people on board. at this point very little is known about what happened. federal investigators are now headed to the scene. meanwhile, another medical helicopter crashed yesterday near seminole, oklahoma, injuring four people. one police official said the helicopter may have had engine trouble and the pilot purposely chose the field to make his landing. the arab news network al jazeera has now bought current tv, a cable channel that al gore co-founded. so it will close current and launch a new channel in its place with the hope of reaching more american viewers. but that could be tougher now. time warner cable dropped the channel after the sale was announced. time warner owns one of the largest cable operators in the country. of course also the parent company of cnn.

>> you got it. another bcs bowl game in the books. what a game it was. the louisville cardinals upset third-ranked florida gators in the sugar bowl last night in new orleans. louisville won 33-23, but really the game wasn't that close. of course this is all leading up to the big game, the bcs title game, notre dame versus alabama. that is monday night in miami. so here's the video we really wanted to get to. even a 3-year-old, 3 can see that's not a first down, ref. video now absolutely going viral. this pint-size south carolina gamecock fan going all john madden after one of the worst calls ever in the outback bowl on new year's day that gave michigan a very questionable first down. watch this. >> the ball is really not touching that. it's really not. because it's closer than that. and it's a little bit of spot. the referee said it's touching that pole, but it's really not.

>> i love everything about this. i love her hair, i love that she has a pencil and she is pointing. >> she also is right. >> she is totally right. that wasn't a first down. love it. >> she should oversee officials from the ncaa right there. that girl knows what she's talking about. we could also use her in washington, she could add some sense there. this morning republican leaders in the house are promising to make good after a move that left lawmakers on both sides of the aisle really enraged. >> speaker boehner has pledged to make sandy relief a priority in the new congress after he abruptly pulled a similar bill late tuesday night. that had politicians here in the northeast fuming, including the governor of new jersey, chris christie, who blasted his own party over this. >> national disasters happen in red states and blue states. in states with democratic governors and republican governors. we respond to innocent victims of natural disasters not as republicans or democrats, but as americans. or at least we did until last night.

last night, politics was placed before our oaths to serve our citizens. for me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch. >> well, speaker boehner now says lawmakers will vote tomorrow for a $9 billion measure with more money coming later. congressman michael grimm is a republican from new york. part of his district is in staten island that was really hit very hard by superstorm sandy. congressman, good morning. >> good morning. >> so you were really mad. i'm talking really, really mad two nights ago and then yesterday morning. where do you stand now? has speaker boehner gone far enough for you now that he's scheduling this vote for tomorrow? >> the bottom line is we just have to get this done. listen, i'm a new yorker, not some of the time but all the time. yeah, i got my new york up. i was furious. i think everyone involved was absolutely beside themself. new york has a history just like new jersey, we put our states

first. we don't let politics get in the way. we come together bipartisan, we've been doing that so this was an untenable situation and we made it very clear. it's not -- it's just not acceptable, even remotely, to be playing games with the victims of this horrific superstorm sandy. we're there now. we're there. we'll get it done. >> you're there now. you met with the speaker yesterday along with a couple other republicans. how did that go? >> it went very well. but i will tell you this, i did stay behind after the conference in the conference room to speak one on one with the speaker and with the leader and i had to shake his hand and look in his eyes. i needed the speaker of the house to tell me personally that we were going to come through on this and we were going to have the vote on the full $60 billion. not part of it, but the full $60 billion. yes, it will be broken up into pieces but i still want to vote on the full $60 billion and i got his commitment and his word as a man and i feel pretty comfortable with that. >> one of the things you said before is you may not vote for

him to become speaker today. are you still standing by that? >> again, it was based on the fact that something that, fortunately, that was never the case. it was never the case that speaker boehner's heart wasn't with new york or didn't care or didn't want to bring the vote. if that was the case, no, i'm not going to support anyone who doesn't support my constituents and doesn't support the state of new york. but that isn't the case, thank god, and we're moving forward. unfortunately a delay, but sometimes things in this place don't work as great as you want them to. it's not always easy here, but we will get this done. the first legislative day is the 15th and we will be voting on the first legislative day. >> you said you got your new york up the other day. your new york didn't stay up very long on this then? >> well, it stayed up as long as it needed to and let me tell you, it's still there. i will be baby-sitting this thing until that vote comes. listen, it's not over yet also. the speaker's job, and i want to be clear about this, is to bring the vote to the floor, it's not to garner the votes. that's my job. so i still have the job to do with peter king and to work across the aisle with greg meeks

and everyone else to make sure we have the votes. we don't just need a vote, we have to pass it. that's uplifting itself on the $33 billion part of this $60 billion package. >> i just want to add another voice here. this is new jersey governor chris christie, none too pleased about what happened there on the hill. take a look. >> i was called at 11:20 last night by leader cantor and told authority for the vote was pulled by the speaker. and our delegation asked for a meeting with the speaker at that time. they were refused. i called the speaker four times last night after 11:20, and he did not take my calls. so you have to ask the speaker. >> didn't take his calls. i know, congressman, you've established you had the manly handshake, you looked both of these guys in the eye, you believe you're getting this aid. but the fact that the bill is broken up, that this first piece is less than 15% of what the senate had passed previously, does that not bother you still just a little bit?

>> well, that part of it -- first of all, let me tell you this. i was standing next to leader cantor while he was on the phone with governor christie. it was not a pleasant scene. it was very difficult especially as republicans but as americans coming from new york and new jersey. i wasn't expecting it to be coming this early. i was expecting it to come on the 15th so i'm not concerned about that at all. in fact let's get it out of the way, that's fine. the big lift, let's be very clear, is the amendment coming on the 15th for the $33 billion supplemental. that's where i have to make sure we have the votes, and i will. i'll tell you now, i'm going to do everything it takes. we're going to have those votes. >> congressman, some members of your own party may be that may be too much money you're asking for. senator roy blount from missouri said sometimes when you ask for too much you get nothing. and congressman darrell issa said he intends to vote against it. what do you make of that? how do you convince people

there's not pork in this bill? >> first of all, regardless, they can talk about the pork all they want, that's just not accurate. there is not going to be pork in this bill so that's really not the case. they're using that for cover. the truth is there are members of congress -- i have to respect their position that they don't believe that the federal government should outlay money for anything without an offset. that's their position and i have to respect that. it's dead wrong. i completely disagree with them and that's why i'm telling you, it's not a very easy thing to do to make sure we have these votes. they are not in the minority in my conference. there are many republicans that feel you have to have offsets and will not be voting for the $33 billion. but we will get enough votes to pass it. that's what matters. and, again, that's where peter king, myself and working across the aisle we have to make sure those votes are there. but there are going to be a lot of republican that say vote no on the $33 billion. it's my job to make sure we have enough to vote yes. >> confident this is going through. congressman michael grimm, we appreciate it. congressman peter king will be on the show a little later as well. he was furious before.

sort of sounds similar to the congressman there that, you know, it's okay. it's okay now. >> you know, they're working together now, he and the speaker, they're hand in hand, sort of, almost. >> sort of, almost, kinda. ahead, new fallout for the newspaper that decided to publish the names and addresses of registered gun owners. why they're now hiring people with guns. [heart beating]

[heartbeat continues] [heartbeat, music playing louder] ♪ i'm feeling better since you know me... ♪ announcer: this song was created with heartbeats of children in need. find out how it can help frontline health workers bring hope to millions of children at everybeatmatters.org.

welcome back, everyone. the family of free lance journalist james foley missing in syria since thanksgiving day now launching a public campaign to find him. global post, a news website foley previously reported for, told reuters that the 39-year-old was driving toward syria's border with turkey when he was intercepted by a car. he was reportedly forced out of his vehicle by two armed men and he hasn't been seen or heard from since. no one has claimed responsibility. now i want you to take a look at this. put down the cereal, take a look at this map. this is an online publication by the "journal news." this is suburban new york city. it led the paper to, ironically, hire armed guards. here's why. after the connecticut school shooting three weeks ago, the "journal news" posted the locations of licensed gun owners

to two nearby counties. those are all the dots on the map. one gun-owning blogger felt harassed so he posted the home addresses of newspaper staffers. the newspaper said it then, and i'm quoting, received a large amount of negative correspondence. the editor at this paper hired a private security company whose employees are armed and will be on site during business hours. armed at the newspaper. >> very controversial. another nearby county said they would not publish the names of gun owners obviously after this controversy. illinois could soon become the tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage. supporters will try again today to get a bill through the state senate. they fell two votes short yesterday. civil unions have been legal in illinois for the past 18 months. new year's day proved to be a lucky day for a dog here in st. louis. take a look. swimming along, getting rescued. it seems the dog had fallen into this icy lake. thankfully this was a city park lake where the water is only about four feet deep. dan hill was the tallest firefighter on duty so that apparently meant he got the

call. look at this guy. he put on his waders and put the shivering shepherd mix into a basket and brought him back. the dog should be okay. >> i'm glad he's okay but i love the idea that the firefighter who got called was the tallest one. you're the tallest, jump into the lake. >> the four-foot part of the lake, i guess. still ahead, 46 minutes past the hour here. an anxious morning for a lot of children and parents and teachers and just people in the community in newtown, connecticut. this is day one back to class since the tragedy there. we're going to talk to someone who knows what that's like, the mother of a student who was almost killed at virginia tech.

>> jim is sort of this renaissance guy. whatever he tries to do he does exceedingly well. he perfects. he also has a gift for music. has a gift for art or more than a gift, a passion. ♪

♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] some day, your life will flash before your eyes. ♪ make it worth watching. ♪ the new 2013 lexus ls. an entirely new pursuit.

welcome back to "starting point." as kids from sandy hook

elementary school head back to class this morning for the first time in three weeks, millions of americans will be with them in spirit including a dozen teachers from gulfport, mississippi, who were so moved by the tragedy, they held a vigil at sunrise yesterday. >> we are thinking of them and we're not going to stop thinking of them and we're not going to stop praying for them because this is a journey for them in the days ahead. >> our next guest can relate to the parents today in newtown of these children who are going back to school, she also sent her daughter back to school after a mass shooting, her daughter emily was shot twice during the 2007 virginia tech shooting. thankfully emily survived. her mom is the organization in virginia for the coalition to stop gun violence. good morning to you, lori. look, no two shootings are the same, but your daughter, emily, she -- what was that like for her, when she did go back to

classes in blacksburg. describe if you can what it may be like for these little kids? >> well, for my daughter emily, she was brave and smart and determined to resume her life as a college student. i think for the youngsters in newtown, it's probably very, very different. i think for the parents, the concern is the same no matter what the age of your child, you want to protect your children, you want to keep them safe, so those concerns are understandable. i would expect that some of the younger of the elementary school students maybe don't even have a grasp of the magnitude of what's happened, but for the parents, there is concern. you want to keep your children safe. >> so what do you do, lori? we've been hearing from some of the kids and the kids really do seem awfully resilient but the parents are nervous, many intending to go to school to follow the bus, if you will, to school. what is your advice to the parents today? >> i think that the parents

while difficult should be modeling confidence, confidence in their children, confidence in their kids' ability to adjust and to be normal. it may be a new normal, but i think that the parents to show their children that they have confidence in their ability to adjust and their ability to be a regular first grader, second grader, fourth grader would do well for those kids and those parents. it's hard. it's difficult, but schools in this country are the safest places for our school-aged children. >> what did it feel like for you that first day back? >> it was very difficult. it was heart-wrenching to see your child walk off headed to class, knowing that in emily's instance she was headed back to the scene of her attempted murder and that's difficult to relive those things, very difficult, but she was brave and she was smart and she was determined to get back.

there were 17 students injured at virginia tech, and they all went back to the school to get their degrees and finish out their college years. >> you know, we were just talking about the resilience of some of the youngsters who are going back to class. looking at the. ic tours of your beautiful daughter, i'm curious how is she today, how has she moved forward? >> it's been a journey. there's no denying that. there's ups and downs in the recovery, in the aftermath of a mass shooting. there's times when you have to deal with your post traumatic stress disorder and it may flare up at different times, it may recede at different times but the injured students stuck together quite a bit and were helpful to each other, and spent time together and a lot of time together, frankly, at the school, so that was a good for her. she's finished her degree, she's married and teaching school herself. >> how about that. >> i'm very proud of her.

she's very smart, very brave. >> a teacher herself. lori haas you must be proud of your little girl. thank you so much. >> yes, i am, thank you. >> that is nice to hear. ahead on "starting point," a leading republican who is not afraid to rip his own party, we'll talk to new york congressman peter king about that delay in hurricane sandy funding. this has both sides of the aisle enraged. plus the new face of this brand new congress, the most latinos ever elected to the senate and the house begin serving the people today. we're going to talk to one of them, texas congressman-elect joaquin castro. you're excited about that. >> says he's the good looking one. people are always asking me how we make these geico adverts. so we're taking you behind the scenes. this coffee cup, for example, is computer animated. it's not real. geico's customer satisfaction is quite real though. this computer-animated coffee tastes dreadful.

geico. 15 minutes could save you 15 % or more on car insurance. someone get me a latte will ya, please?

good thursday morning to you. i'm brooke baldwin. >> our starting point the schoolbell rings again for the kids at sandy hook elementary school. and big day in washington, taking the oath, a brand new congress convenes just a couple of hours from now, 90 new members joining the house and the senate, but will anything change, really? plus republicans ripping republicans with the victims of hurricane sandy caught in the middle, how congress dropped the ball on a multibillion-dollar relief bill as people await help. >> our guests congressman peter king, texas representative-elect

joaquin castro and pennsylvania governor tom corbett. >> it is thursday, january 3rd and "starting point" begins right now. >> good morning and happy new year to our panel, very handsome, brian lizza, washington correspondent for "the new yorker" richard sacorides, former senior adviser to president bill clinton and writer for newyorker.com and nan hayworth. i saw you shaking your head talking about the congress. >> this is a starting point for you today so welcome. we're so glad you're here. >> i get to keep the pin, which is unlike most breakups i guess. >> all right our starting point as we'll talk about that no doubt later on, right now in

newtown, connecticut, it is a return to school and hopefully a return to some normally in newtown. kids from sandy hook elementary school are back to school for the first time since a gunman killed 26 children and educators, nearly three weeks ago. deb feyerick is live near monroe, new location but same name for that school. >> reporter: it really is and that was something school officials insisted on, they want to make the young kids k through fourth grade feel comfortable and make them feel this is their environment, their new school. the children did have an open house over the last couple of days and also met with their teachers and bonded over pizza. there is some sense of what's going to happen today as they go into their classrooms. they know their desks are the desks they had in the old school have been moved to the new school, so there's a sense of connecon, and that's really important as they go about

trying to start the year. so you were in the gym and you were in the art room. b ben and ethan heard the gunshots and screams that horrible morning. three weeks isn't nearly enough time to understand all the feelings they've experienced since then, fear, worry, anger. still the 9-year-old twins are trying every way they can. >> it's a healing shawl so it's supposed to heal us. >> reporter: going back to school this week is a big part of that healing. are you guys looking forward to kind of going back to school? >> well, we just went there today to visit it and look at everything. and it's a very interesting school. >> reporter: originally for teenagers, the school in monroe has been transformed for k through fourth grade, toys, cubbies, carpets and familiar things brought over from sandy hook elementary. >> all of our desks are there but my desk i noticed that someone was in there and cleaned it, and made it, well not

cleaned it, made it neater, because my desk is usually very messy. >> i think them getting on the bus for us it's movement forward. this is the next step, now it's getting back to a routine and getting them to school so they get back to that normalcy and start learning again and be who they are. >> ben and ethan want the school turtle to be sandy hook's new mascot. >> our motto that go with it is actually one step at a time. >> it's also one step at a time for moms and good friends denise and sarah, and their daughters. >> there's no real playbook for this. i don't think any of us really have a playbook so we're kind of just sensing our child and trying to meet the needs that we can. >> counselors will be on hand for the children and parents can spend the day at the school, just in case. >> i joked with one of the other moms, i'll see you in the morning, i'll bring coffee. it was one of those i think i

need that adult time, too, because i'm not sure i'm ready yet to totally let them go in peace because i think my peace has been shattered. >> reporter: some of the parents told us as they put their child on the bus this morning, they will then get in their own cars and they will go to the school. we're about two miles from the school because school officials really wanted to keep the press as far away as possible simply because they want this to be a normal experience, they want the kids to get back into the routine, into the rhythm of what a class day is like. they're already going to have enough stimulation with the new building and the stairs which they didn't have in the old building so there's going to be a lot of adjustment but nobody knows quite how they're going to feel during the day or for that matter at the end of the day, but at least they're getting back to something that they are more familiar with. brooke, john? >> deb feyerick, thank you so much. part of the whole story is the continuity you talk about the classrooms. earlier this morning i talked to

dr. julian ford and he counseled a number of the sandy hook families in the days immediately following the mass shooting and he's trained dozens of mental health professionals providing support to families in newtown. here he is. julian good morning. i imagine today is an emotional day for a lot of people in newtown and really as these children go back to school, what is goal number one today? >> the most important thing for everyone in helping the kids go back to school and helping the parents feel comfortable with their children going back to school is knowing that past is not prologue. what's happened is a terrible tragedy but now the community, the children and the families get to begin back on the path that they were on, even though nothing will be quite the same, it's wonderful that they have a chance to go back to the school with so much that is familiar. >> i'm sure for a lot of these

moms and dads sending these little ones back it's probably a tough time and you say your advice to parents keep in check with your emotions because then you can better help your own children. is that right? >> absolutely. the more that we're aware of what we're feeling, the more that we're able to actually make sure we translate that into the message that we truly want for our children, and that's clearly that we're calm, we're confident, we feel the impact but we also know that it's the right thing to do, to go back to school, to get back together with teachers, with peers, with friends and to resume the routines that give us the structure and security we count on. >> i want to ask you about continuity. lot of us have been talking about how the school staff and teachers have worked hard to recreate these classrooms that were once in sandy hook elementary school, are now in the school, they're calling sandy hook, down to the desks and the crayons, the backpacks.

i'm curious, why is that a good, positive thing? why wouldn't you want to, in a sense, start anew? >> well as adults, questiwe ten associate those cues with things that have happened especially when there's a traumatic shock and loss as everyone has experienced. we tend to associate that with a kind of both a replay of what's happened and expecting that things like that will happen again in the future even though there really isn't that much of a likelihood fortunately but for children, they're really focused on the present moment. when they go back in the classrooms and see the familiar objects and see the desks very similar, for them it's going to, that's going to signify okay i'm back at school, this isn't chalk hill, this is sandy hook, i'm back with my friends and back with my teachers and that's what they need in order to have the sense of security to go back and dive right back into the school life. >> and that sense of security is so important not just for the children but we have to talk about the teachers.

i mean so many of them leapt into action three weeks ago. what kind of support do the teachers need right now? >> they need to know that we're all with them, and that what they've done is just remarkable, not just their courage at the moment of the impact but also over the several weeks since then they've been doing an amazing job of preparing, so that they can provide the kind of not only security, but what kids really need, which is a sense of security, opportunity, affection and that there's a plan. these teachers and school folks have a real plan for how they're going to bring kids back into the learning experience, help them to process what they've been through, without necessarily dredging up any of the old memories because that's more for adults to do at this point in time and those teachers simply need to know that we are all with them today. >> we are all with them today, and here is hoping that they

can't not necessarily move on but move forward in newtown. julian ford, clinical psychologist, thank you. >> thank you so much. >> i thought it was interesting when you asked him about the school all the artwork is the same, the desks is the same right down to the crayons. when i first heard that it sounded -- >> a little odd. >> -- a little odd to me. >> the idea is to normalize things as much as possible. >> continuity, they need the desks and same hooks. >> my children, my 6-year-old is in kindergarten, if the kids ask about it, watch this on the news they'll talk about it, other wise it's not mentioned or brought up in school. the older kids know a lot more about it than the younger kids. >> you guys are parents. can you imagine sending your kids back to school today? >> my kids went to our public school and i was thinking about it, i was trying to imagine going back to our elementary school, taking them back,

knowing what had happened less than a month earlier and my heart is with them. >> there's a room for those parents today and i'm sure it will be full. >> i'm sure. other top stories we're looking at, president obama signed the fiscal cliff bill overnight setting the stage for new political battles in the coming weeks, the mini cliffs include the night over the debt limit. i said it was signed, it wasn't signed, it was marked, using an auto pen, which copies the president's signature because the first family is on vacation in hawaii. the congress that americans elected in november today are getting to work. members of the 113th congress will be sworn in at the capitol, just about four hours from now. there are plenty of new faces. you have 13 senators, 84 representative its making up the freshman class and this is the most diverse congress ever. let me just run through some of this, the first hindu, first female combat veteran, first openly bisexual member and the senate has its first buddhist,

otherwise the new congress will look a lot like the old one with democrats controlling the senate and republicans controlling the house. >> one of the first questions the 113th will tackle whether to keep john bainer in his post as speaker. mr. boehner has scheduled a first vote tomorrow to help superstorm sandy victims. he was criticized for delaying action on a sandy package. new york congressman peter king telling cnn boehner restored his promise. >> the bottom line is that we are now receiving what we asked for and as far as i'm concerned what's done is done. i've always considered john boehner a friend and i said it on the house floor today which is made it more painful for me to say what i had to say. new york in a number of cases i felt was being taken advantage of. >> we'll talk with congressman peter king later this hour on "starting point." and patti page hit the world

with "tennessee waltz" and this classic -- ♪ how much is that doggie in the window ♪ ♪ the one with the waggly tail >> i prefer "tennessee waltz" one of more than 100 hits page put on the charts, she sold more than 100 million records, appeared in a number of movies. page was reportedly the first singer to overdub her voice. that means she became her own backup singer on her records, patti page was 85 years old. all right some sports news, even mannequin tim tebow is riding the bench. dick's sporting goods store decided to kick the quarterback while he was down, a mannequin riding the pine. the mannequin said he was just excited to be part of it all. that's a joke. i have to say, representative hayward, we were talking about

the new congress and every time we mentioned it you nod your head a little bit. >> yeah, well. >> what does it feel like today to be leaving congress? >> i'm grateful for the privilege of having served and i served with marvelous people on both sides of the aisle. it is fascinating to see what goes on from the inside. every member there is an advocate for a cause, for their people, and trying to balance all of those concerns with the general concerns of our nation, and this is you see it played out every day in the decisions we make. >> quickly, just first day, is this like a first day of class? were you nervous? obviously you were excited. >> you mean two years ago? >> two years ago. >> yes, it's a blur. when you're brand new, you just, we're very lucky, we have experienced staff who guide us around, make sure we get to where we're supposed to be.

>> don't you think when one door closes another opens. i think nan may have a future on television. >> well, thank you. >> what was the biggest misconception as an average american, a doctor, going into washington, what did you -- >> real citizen legislature, and there were about 45 of us in the freshman class of 2010. never any experience in government and i think it is, one has a series of realizations, not so much there was a big shock but the fact that there is so much that impedes enacting pure principle and the 2010 wave election of course for the house of representatives, we'll study it for years no doubt but we were really elected in this passionate wave and you get to washington and you find out hey by the way there's a whole bunch of procedure and established law you have to -- >> sounds like you're saying it's harder than you thought.

>> a little bit. kids, don't try this at home. >> we want to continue the conversation, today is the brand new day for the 113th congress, in fact one other factoid, more latinos serving today than ever before. >> next one of the new faces texas congressman-elect joaquin castro will be joining us. what's in your ear? oooo! a quarter! check for more! well, i guess i can double check... my watch! [ male announcer ] it pays to double check, with state farm.

today at noon the 113th congress gets sworn in, sets the record with the most latinos elected to the senate and house and among those representatives is newly elected democratic representative-elect joaquin castro from the 20th district in texas. >> joaquin spoke and introduced his twin brother the san antonio mayor julian castro who delivered the keynote address. good morning representative-elect, we'll only be able to say that for three and a half hours. >> that's right reget -- good morning, y'all. we get sworn in a few hours. i'm excited, my family flew in yesterday. it's a big day for us. >> is that an understatement?

what is it like, butterflies, nerves? >> a little bit of all of it. yesterday as i was getting ready to go to bed my stomach was turning and i didn't know if i ate too much or if i was getting nervous about today but i feel good this morning. >> let me ask you congressman-elect on the stomach turning note, not to be debbie downer, you're walking into congress, it's been a little messy recently there. if you look at the approval ratings, only 18% of americans approve of the job congress is doing. what does it feel like walking into a job where americans already dislike you? >> it's a little bit daunting and i think this freshman class that's coming in, about 70 new members, democrats and republicans have learned a lot from what happened over the last few weeks with the fiscal cliff debacle and i think you have a lot of folks coming in that are committed to doing a better job

quite frankly and making a real effort in earnest to come up with an agreement, to compromise and be reasonable lawmakers. >> how are you going to do that? what are you going to do to change the environment? can you? >> you can as you go about building business relationships with your folks, and those on the other side, certainly that's the way i've conducted myself in the texas legislature for the last ten years. >> i was going to ask, nan, do you have any advice for this gentleman coming into office as someone who was there two years ago? >> absolutely. joaquin, welcome, of course. >> thank you. >> and i should say representative-elect castro, and i would say remain positive just as you are now and if it's not about you and if it is about the people you're serving, and if you try to forget that you're a democrat and you have republicans who may have opposed

you as you know in various election or electoral processes, i think you'll do great and sounds as though you've got exactly the right attitude going in. >> thank you, i appreciate it. >> joaquin can i ask you about the relationship with your brother? >> sure. >> you're the rising, i keep reading rising political stars in texas. does it ever get competitive between the two of you? people talk about both of you as statewide candidates in texas. could you ever see yourself in a primary against him? how do you keep things even keel? >> well, you know, we grew up very competitive with each other in sports, in school. he was a little bit better in school, i was a little bit better in sports, but as you grow up and you mature i think you become each other's biggest supporters and so i've said that my brother is my best friend. i was very honored to be able to introduce him at the dnc when he was doing the keynote speech so i consider myself my brother's biggest supporter and champion.

>> who gets dibbs if there's an open seat in texas? >> i'm a minute younger so he always says he does. >> a minute younger. let me ask you about this, the new congress has the largest number of hispanics ever. >> right. >> 36 members, which is pretty huge and when you think about we covered so much of the role of the hispanic community in the past november elections. this is president obama talking on "meet the press" last sunday how he's going to make immigration reform a priority. here he was. >> i've said that fixing our broken immigration system is a top priority. i will introduce legislation in the first year to get that done. i think we have talked about it long enough, we know how we can fix it. we can do it in a comprehensive way but the american people's support is something we should get done. >> we all witnessed and covered the debacle that was the fiscal cliff in which we have three more to go in the next couple of months. how do you think you can help make this a priority in

congress? >> at least part of the fiscal cliff has been averted i do think we've got to handle the rest of that in the coming months but immigration reform really should be a top priority. i was pleased to see the president make it a priority. i would be surprised if the congress doesn't act on immigration reform in this year 2013, and i also have to say that it's about time. >> can i ask, can you do immigration reform and also gun control this year? >> i think so. there's no question that both of those and certainly gun control are heavy lifts, but you know, the president is in his second term, he's not seeking re-election again and quite frankly there's a lot of public momentum on the issues so i think we can. >> congressman-elect soon to be congressman, best of luck to you. don't be too nervous. >> thank you, i'll need the luck so thank you. >> good luck. >> big day for him. >> big day. >> very exciting. the aurora, colorado,

theater that was the site of a mass shooting now inviting victims back to the movies, but those victims say the invitation is insulting and heartless. we'll have the details next. [heart beating] [heartbeat continues] [heartbeat, music playing louder] ♪ i'm feeling better since you know me... ♪ announcer: this song was created with heartbeats of children in need. find out how it can help frontline health workers bring hope to millions of children at everybeatmatters.org.

welcome back, everyone. the colorado movie theater where 12 people were shot and killed is set to reopen two weeks from today and the theater is offering up free tickets for victims families and mental health counselors on site if they need to talk to someone. many of the families say it's disgusting and they plan to boycott the theater. they said cinemark never once reached out to families to offer condolences. the theater has been closed since july 20th. what do you guys think about

that? >> i think they should just open it quietly and not make a big deal. it's sickening. it's a generous offer but -- >> the family said you haven't responded when we reached out to you. shaking your head. >> clearly it was not completely thought out and probably well intended. >> that's what i was trying to say it was well intended but they didn't recognize the impact it would have on the family. >> sometimes silence is the best approach. >> maybe it's a pr stunt. >> and movie tickets, really? the relief funding for hurricane sandy victims, new york republican peter king comes out swinging against members of his own party but an about-face this morning. congressman king joins us live next. the disturbing twist in the case of two high school football players accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl,

now caught on videotape joke being the horrific crime.

welcome back to "starting point" everyone. speaker john boehner abruptly pulled a similar bill to help sandy hook victims. >> that had governor chris christie calling out his own party. >> states with democratic and republican governs. we respond to innocent victims as natural zasterses not as republicans or democrats but as americans, or at least we did, until last night. last night, politics was placed before oaths to serve our citizens. for me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch. >> peter king also a vocal

opponent of what happened. he is a republican representative from long island and the chairman of the homeland security committee. mr. chairman, good to see you. good morning. >> great to be with you, thanks. >> let me just begin with the fist pounding on the podium from tuesday night that we saw from you and now it sounds like your anger and temper is much, much more subdued this morning over this whole thing. what happened? >> bottom line we got the decision we wanted. what you saw tuesday night was unplanned, unscripted, it was the way i felt at the time and i stand by everything i said but the fact is yesterday, the speaker, we met with the speaker and majority leader and they said that the $60 billion will be brought up for a vote at the earliest time, it will be a $9 billion infusion into the flood insurance program tomorrow, we'll vote on that and the first legislative day is january 15th, and we'll vote on the remaining $51 billion. obviously i wish it had been

done yesterday or the day before but we are going to have all of that voted on by january 15th. as far as i'm concerned what's done is done and now we go forward, make sure this does happen and we get the votes. >> congressman you made some strong statements, i want to run through a couple of them, give me a yes or no. you said that anyone who contributed one penny to the republican congressional campaign committee should have their head examined. you stand by that? >> i said based on what happened on tuesday night, yeah, if we had not gotten the aid, yes. the view of the speaker's decision yesterday now we start over again. >> so the republicans in congress would have a hard time getting your vote. where do you stand? >> i was saying because what happened the other night, when you're in a political party, you give a deference to your party, give them the benefit of the doubt on certain votes with the assurance when you need help, your district needs help the party will be there for you. since the party wasn't for me

tuesday night, not for me, my district, my constituents, i was going to look skeptically at votes in the future. >> you say you're over this but my question to you is does it leave a mark? you weren't just upset as we say in boston, you were wicked upset. what kind of mark does this leave, any scarring? >> no, listen, i'm from new york politics. we're full of scars and bruises and broken bones, so that's all part of the business. i mean i've worked with mario cuomo, ed katz, pretty tough customers over the years. it was a skirmish, very important but as far as i'm concerned it's over with. john boehner and i shook hands yesterday but when it comes to fighting for my constituents i had an obligation to do it and the danger was this wasn't just a delay of one day. what i was concerned being pushed over into the new congress this could delay it for months, that's why the speaker yesterday agreed to expedite this and get it done. that was the most significant thing. >> when we talk about a delay

and we heard this over from chris christie as well. just to give everyone perspective, we have this graphic, when you see in previous storm disasters congress and the white house managed to get aid bills signed within a month, look at katrina, ten days, andrew, 31 days, double that time with hurricane sandy. what happened? >> the house, we didn't get the bill until last week. the governor submitted very detailed statements. it took them i guess almost a month and in fairness to them they wanted to make sure everything was documented so they came up with their request sometime around november 20th in that area, november 15th, november 20th, and then it went to the white house and the office of management and budget had to go through it, they submitted it to the congress, the senate voted on it i think right before christmas and then we got it this week so this is the first week we could have voted on it anyway, just by the procedure of the governor submitting the -- >> this was tuesday night, after

the whole disfal cliff debacle. speaker boehner could have stayed, it could have happened. now it's sort of being said that he was saying it wouldn't look good, it wouldn't look good to do this vote that night. what do you make of that? >> i disagree with the speaker's decision. he knows that. after the whole day of all the confusion and fighting and tumult over the fiscal cliff, john boehner made a decision without telling us that to then vote on another $60 billion of spending at that time could have caused more disruption, he didn't know what was going to happen and he just decided not to go with the vote. i think we should have gone with it then but what's done is done, and again i'm not the speaker but we are getting results. >> chairman king, the $9 billion sounds like it will pass easily but the higher number, the more money later this month, really it's not a sure thing, and your colleague, republican darrell issa is calling this pork. listen to what he said about the relief bill. >> they sent us a bunch of pork

and then left town and that was just wrong and i think the speaker has the support of the vast majority of republicans that if we're going to provide relief, we can't allow it to be doubled essentially with unrelated pork, no matter where the relief is and the relief will come early next year, but it will come at the $27 billion level or i don't expect to be voting for it. >> sounds like you have some work to do here to convince your colleagues, sir. >> first of all, with all due respect, darrell issa is 1,000% wrong. there is absolutely no pork in the bill. there were some items that were added in the senate involving alaska which is less than 1% of the bill. even though it's only 1% of the bill, every one of those items was removed from the house bill and i wish darrell issa had learned that and looked into that before he went public and said that my constituents should not get their homes rebuilt, should not have the waste management plants rebuild, that

gfr chri governor christie should not be given the opportunity to rebuild new jersey and governor cuomo in new york. every dollar that governor christie, governor cuomo and mayor bloomberg requested has been documented, the speaker will tell you that, the majority leader will tell you that. there is no pork and to somehow say that $33 billion is pork, darrell issa with all due respect is 1,000% wrong, i say that again 1,000% wrong. the speaker disagrees with him, and if he wants to take it up with somebody, call governor christie. >> we hear you loud and clear mr. chairman this morning and appreciate you coming on. >> chairman king nice to see you. >> sounds like he's still kind of upset. >> i heard that in his voice. >> i think one of the things about this even though it's good they have an agreement on a date that putting it over to the next congress, then it will have to go back to the senate and we're not done yet. they have a date for a vote in the house but it's not done.

>> if you're a northeastern republican who cares about this stuff there's a regional split in the republican party. these guys don't have a lot of power and for them to get something done, they have to do what peter king did. explode on tv before they can get it passed. >> they certainly, our colleagues made a tremendous noise about this, as they needed to. there is tremendous anguish and suffering going on here in the northeast, and ryan makes a point that within the house majority, there is a certain difference of opinion about how we plan out these things, but i think it was wise to, of the speaker to bring -- >> you are being incredibly del capital i think. i think there is a difference of opinion within the republican caucus about how much help the northeast needs and if northeastern representatives on both parties need to get their act together because this is, you know, this is another disaster waiting to happen.

>> they need to have better coordination on these things. >> the note is don't ever piss off chairman king. >> with that, christine romans -- >> such language from ryan lizza first thing in the morning. jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed will continue for another year but they won't last forever. we need job growth. 372,000 jobless claims were filed for the first time last week and payroll processor adp reported 215,000 private sector jobs were added in december, that number more than expected, tomorrow is the big government jobs report, all of these little pieces of information being used to see how strong the labor market might be. mark zandi says that 2012 ended on a strong note for jobs. strong day for markets yesterday, the dow gained 308 points, about 2.4%, and u.s.

markets poised for a pullback, not a surprise, stock futures are down, investor enthusiasm over the fiscal cliff expected to be short lived in part because we have all these little mountains to climb over the next few months. and catch this, the secret to a healthy relationship, pop for a dvr, a new poll says couples fight more over the tv remote than anything else. asked which aspect of living together drives you most crazy? 36% said fighting over what to watch on tv. that even beats out arguing over household chores, even sharing a bathroom or hogging the bed. i personally think it's fighting over money but apparently it's fighting over the remote control. >> that's why i have such a healthy marriage, i go to bed at 7:30 and my wife can watch whatever she wants. >> the secret to a marriage is not be together all the time. >> this makes sense, right, because this is when you're together, right?

this is what you argue about. >> as long as i can have somebody else unload the dishwasher i'm a happy camper. >> my husband's dvr has so much sports i can't get so much on there because the sports takes up all the space. >> case closed. >> they need more cnn. >> that is for certain. just ahead we're talking about a really troubling and disturbing story. >> this is awful. >> in the case of two high school football players accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, a teenager caught on videotape joking about this horrific crime. we'll have the details next. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app.

quarter 'til the top of the hour. welcome back to "starting point." we're getting our first look at this nearly 12-minute video that could become key evidence in a rain case in a small town in ohio. >> two high school football players accused of assaulting a 16-year-old girl. susan candiotti is covering the details. good morning. >> good morning. the charges are stunning, a 16-year-old girl allegedly raped by two high school football players during end of the summer parties in the small eastern ohio town of steubenville. there are reports the girl was drunk and possibly unconscious, and now two special prosecutors appointed by ohio's attorney

general mike dewine are just over a month away from trying two teens on rape charges but what makes this case stand out even more is talk about the alleged attack last august has been playing it self out through social media. even ohio's chief law enforcement officer says this case might never have come together a decade ago. that's because police in part found out about the alleged rain by piecing together outrageous tweets, a cell phone photo that claims to show the girl at the center of the alleged attack being carried seemingly limp by her arms and legs, and at least one online video that shows young people callously laughing about it. >> what if that was your daughter. >> but it isn't. if that was my daughter i wouldn't care, i'd just let her be dead. >> listen to yourself. >> i'm listening to myself fine. >> in about ten years, i'm going to come back to this video.

>> ten years, my daughter's going to be getting raped and dead in ten years. >> that continues for about 12 minutes. he goes on to make offensive one-line comments about rape and talks about the girl as if she was dead, which she is not. >> you mentioned rape charges, it's rape but also more than that. >> that's right. two 16-year-old boys are charged with rape, one of the two is also charged with illegal use of a minor in nude material. the attorney general's office says they'll be tried by a juvenile court judge without a jury in open court next month. these two boys have been publicly identified by authorities. however, cnn is not yet revealing their names and because cnn's policy is not to release the name of alleged rape victims, we are also not reporting the name of the girl. >> we're talking about two high school students charged right now in these crimes. my understanding is this was a full night of a rolling party. is it possible there will be other people involved? >> it is possible.

ohio's attorney general tells me the investigation is not over. authorities are still conducting interviews and he also says he's well aware of the online video and a photo and various postings, some were online months ago, then were taken down and some put back online again. so this is not over. >> all right, susan candiotti, thanks very much. still to come this morning on "starting point," the lawsuit that is trying to get penn state sanctions in the jerry sandusky child sex abuse case tossed out but guess what? it's not the school that's suing here. governor, governor tom corbett joins us live to talk about why he has decided to sue, that's coming up.

penn state university is distancing itself this morning from a lawsuit by the state over sanctions imposed after the jerry sandusky child sex abuse scandal. now it's the governor here, governor tom corbett who is filing this anti-trust lawsuit against the ncaa saying and i'm quoting here that it was overreaching and unlawful in how it punished the university. >> the lawsuit asks the federal court to throw out the penalties against penn state's football program including a $60 million fine but the university still says it will comply with the

punishment. governor tom corbett of pennsylvania joins us. governor, good morning. >> good morning, how are you today? >> very well, thank you. listen, hoping you help us clear something up here because this appears to be a shift for you. when the ncaa first xwaf out et cetera sanctions, you said we have taken a monster off the streets and while we'll never be able to repair the injury to the children, we must repair the damage to this university. part of the corrective process is to accept the serious penalties imposed by the ncaa on penn state. that was july 23rd, you were willing to accept the penalties then. what's changed now? >> at the same time a day later i talked about the severity of these and take a look at what happened. my view is if the ncaa is going to impose the sanctions they're going to do them as the rules of

the ncaa. however in further researching what's happened since then we find out the ncaa didn't follow its own rules in assessing penalties. everybody knows that usually the ncaa goes through its infractions and rules committee to conduct an investigation to make a determination, and then to assess fines or penalties. that was not the case here. in this case, president and executive committee overstepped the bounds of the rules of the ncaa and imposed their own penalties without using the infractions committee. thereby -- >> governor let me jump in -- >> let me finish, they did not follow their rules so at that point in time i believe they violated the anti-trust laws of the united states. >> here's what the ncaa said in a statement yesterday, learning of this suit, "we are disappointed by the governor's action today, not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all the victims in this

tragedy, lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of jerry sandusky, while the innocence that was stolen can never be restored, penn state has accepted the consequences for its role and the role of its employees and is moving forward. today's announcement by the governor is a setback to the university's efforts." it appears penn state not supporting you. they are complying with the sanctions. what kind of conversations have you had with the university, sir? >> i did not have conversations with the board of trustees or with the president because i did not want them to be punished further by the ncaa for any actions that we took. i'm filing this on behalf of the citizens of the commonwealth of pennsylvania number one. number two, when it comes to the victims, nobody has done more in this whole situation of defending victims across their entire career than i have, and i will continue to protect the victims of crime, particularly the victims of sexual abuse, as i did throughout my career as a prosecutor. the statement of the ncaa, a, i

believe was made before they even read the law. when we bring a lawsuit we have to believe that we have a good faith effort of winning that lawsuit, and that's what the courts are for. >> sir, you're being criticized in some cases for the timing of this announcement. christine brennan who writes for "usa today" noted you said you waited until after the football season because you didn't want to take away from the momentum of the football team, and this is what she said about that, "if this weren't just a serious topic, if this weren't so pathetic and appalling it would be laughable. who is running the state, barney fife?" your reaction? >> my reaction is she doesn't know what she's talking about. i didn't want to interfere with the momentum the team had. coach o'brien had done a great job with the team. the final decision to go forward wasn't made until october. the lawsuit then was drafted, we went through many variations and at the end of the season was

when i made my decision. >> you waited -- you put football first, if the case was so important, why not bring it up when you're ready to bring it up? you put football first again which is one of the things with penn state all along. >> this is going to be a very long case and the start of that case could easily wait until after the end of the football season, which we did. >> obviously some folks disagree. we will watch. >> obviously. >> and follow the long case. governor, we appreciate it, governor tom corbett, from the state of pennsylvania, thank you. "end point" is next. [heart beating] [heartbeat continues] [heartbeat, music playing louder] ♪ i'm feeling better since you know me... ♪ announcer: this song was created with heartbeats of children in need. find out how it can help frontline health workers bring hope to millions of children

at everybeatmatters.org.